Degradation study of thiotepa in aqueous solutions

The degradation of N,N',N"-triethylenethiophosphoramide (thiotepa) in aqueous solutions has been investigated over the pH range 1-14. Samples were analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatographic system with UV detection. The degradation kinetics were studied as a function of pH, sodium chloride concentration and temperature. The degradation of thiotepa follows pseudo first order kinetics. The pH-log kobs profile shows that thiotepa is most stable in the pH range 7-11. At pH?11 chloride has no influence on the degradation rate. The degradation products were isolated and the structures identified by mass spectrometry. Chloro adducts of thiotepa are generated in the presence of sodium chloride and in acidic medium. In the pH range 7-11 only the mono-chloro adduct of thiotepa could be found. No detectable degradation products were formed at pH?11.     

Reactions of alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopyrrolidine with deoxyguanosine and DNA

We investigated the reactions of alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopyrrolidine (alpha-acetoxyNPYR) with dGuo and DNA. Alpha-acetoxyNPYR is a stable precursor to the major proximate carcinogen of NPYR, alpha-hydroxyNPYR (3). Our goal was to develop appropriate conditions for the analysis of DNA adducts of NPYR formed in vivo. Products of the alpha-acetoxyNPYR-dGuo reactions were analyzed directly by HPLC or after treatment of the reaction mixtures with NaBH3CN. Products of the alpha-acetoxyNPYR-DNA reactions were released by enzymatic or neutral thermal hydrolysis of the DNA, then analyzed by HPLC. Alternatively, the DNA was treated with NaBH3CN prior to hydrolysis and HPLC analysis. The reactions of alpha-acetoxyNPYR with dGuo and DNA were complex. We have identified 13 products of the dGuo reaction-6 of these were characterized in this reaction for the first time. They were four diastereomers of N2-(3-hydroxybutylidene)dGuo (20, 21), 7-(N-nitrosopyrrolidin-2-yl)Gua (2), and 2-(2-hydroxypyrrolidin-1-yl)deoxyinosine (12). Adducts 20 and 21 were identified by comparison to standards produced in the reaction of 3-hydroxybutanal with dGuo. Adduct 2 was identified by its spectral properties while adduct 12 was characterized by comparison to an independently synthesized standard. With the exception of adduct 2, all products of the dGuo reactions were also observed in the DNA reactions. The major product in both the dGuo and DNA reactions was N2-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)dGuo (10), consistent with previous studies. Several other previously identified adducts were also observed in this study. HPLC analysis of reaction mixtures treated with NaBH3CN provided improved conditions for adduct identification, which should be useful for in vivo studies of DNA adduct formation by NPYR.     

Quantitative correlation of drug bioactivation and deoxyadenosine alkylation by acylfulvene

Acylfulvenes (AFs) are a class of antitumor agents that exert their cytotoxic effects by forming covalent adducts with biomolecules, including DNA and proteins; clinical trials are ongoing for (-)-(hydroxymethyl)AF. Recently, depurinating DNA adducts N3-AF-deoxyadenosine (dAdo) and N7-AF-deoxyguanosine (dGuo) were identified from reactions of the parent compound, AF, with calf thymus DNA in the presence of the reductase enzyme alkenal/one oxidoreductase (AOR) and cofactor NADPH. We report here the development of a structure-specific quantitative analytical method for evaluating levels of the major base adduct N3-AF-adenine (Ade), which results from depurination of N3-AF-dAdo, and its utilization to further probe the relationship between AOR-mediated bioactivation and adduct formation in a cell-free system. As an internal standard, the isotopomer N3-AF-Ade-d3 was synthesized, and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) was used to detect and quantitate the adduct. This method was validated and found to be accurate (R2>or=0.99) and precise (relative standard deviation 5.8-6.4%), with a limit of detection of 2 fmol. DNA samples, to which the stable-isotope-labeled internal standard was added, were subjected to neutral thermal hydrolysis yielding N3-AF-Ade. Adducts were isolated by a simple solid-liquid methanol extraction procedure, and adduct formation was examined in the presence of either high (1-3 micromol) or low (15 nmol) levels of DNA. Absolute amounts of N3-AF-Ade were measured in cell-free reaction mixtures containing varying levels of AOR as the only drug-activating enzyme. The increase in adduct formation (5-100 adducts per 10(5) DNA bases) over a range of enzyme concentrations (1-24 nM of AOR) showed saturation type behavior. This study reports a sensitive HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for quantitation of the major DNA adduct induced by AF and illustrates a correlation between N3-AF-Ade formation and AOR-mediated enzymatic activation in a cell-free system, thus providing a template for further studies of drug toxicity in cells and in vivo.     

Characterization of S-[2-(N1-adenyl)ethyl]glutathione as an adduct formed in RNA and DNA from 1,2-dibromoethane.

The major DNA adduct derived from 1,2-dibromoethane is known to be S-[2-(N7-guanyl)-ethyl]glutathione; minor nucleic acid DNA adducts were characterized in view of the possibility that some might be unusually persistent or biologically active. RNA was modified in vitro by treatment with 1,2-dibromoethane and glutathione in the presence of rat liver cytosol, and bases were released by mild acid hydrolysis, which liberated greater than 99% of the bound radioactivity. One of the minor adducts was identified as S-[2-(N1-adenyl)ethyl]glutathione on the basis of its UV, mass, and NMR spectra. This adduct could be synthesized by reaction of S-(2-chloroethyl)-glutathione with adenosine. The material was desulfurized by treatment with Raney Ni to give N1-ethyladenine in low yield. The Raney Ni reaction was accompanied by considerable formation of the corresponding N6-adenine derivative via Dimroth rearrangement. Another adduct was identified as S-[2-(N7-guanyl)ethyl]cysteinylglycine by its UV, mass, and NMR spectra, but the material was demonstrated to be formed from the major DNA adduct, S-[2-(N7-guanyl)-ethyl]glutathione under conditions of mild acid hydrolysis. The imidazole ring opened derivative of S-[2-(N7-guanyl)ethyl]glutathione was synthesized and found not to be formed in DNA in vitro or in vivo. The two remaining minor adducts account for 1-2% of the total binding, but insufficient quantities were recovered to allow for structure determination; however, neither of these (uncharacterized) minor products are seen after the reaction of S-(2-chloroethyl)glutathione with guanosine or adenosine. S-[2-(N1-Adenyl)ethyl]glutathione was formed in rat liver RNA and DNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Identification of adducts derived from reactions of (1-chloroethenyl)oxirane with nucleosides and calf thymus DNA

(1-Chloroethenyl)oxirane is a major mutagenic metabolite of chloroprene, an important large-scale petrochemical used in the manufacture of synthetic rubbers. The reactions of (1-chloroethenyl)oxirane with 2'-deoxyguanosine, 2'-deoxyadenosine, 2'-deoxycytidine, thymidine, and calf thymus DNA have been studied in aqueous buffered solutions. The adducts from the nucleosides were isolated by reversed-phase HPLC, and characterized by their UV absorbance and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric features. The reaction with 2'-deoxyguanosine gave one major adduct, N7-(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-guanine (dGI), and eight minor adducts which were identified as diastereoisomeric pairs of N1-(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-2'-deoxyguanosine (dGII, dGIII), N3,N7-bis(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-guanine (dGIV, dGV), N7,N9-bis(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-guanine (dGVI, dGVII), and N1,N7-bis(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-guanine (dGVIII, dGIX). The reaction of 2'-deoxyadenosine with (1-chloroethenyl)oxirane gave two adducts: N1-(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (dAI) and N(6)-(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (dAII). The adduct dAII was shown to arise via a Dimroth rearrangement of adduct dAI. The HPLC analyses of the reaction mixtures of (1-chloroethenyl)oxirane with 2'-deoxycytidine and thymidine showed the formation of one major product in each reaction. The adduct from 2'-deoxycytidine was identified as N3-(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-2'-deoxyuridine (dCI) derived by alkylation at N-3 followed by deamination. The adduct from thymidine was identified as N3-(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-thymidine (TI). Reaction of (1-chloroethenyl)oxirane with calf thymus DNA gave all of the adducts observed from the individual nucleosides except dGII and dGIII. However, there was selectivity for the formation of dGI and dCI. The adduct levels in DNA were 9,630 (dGI), 240 (dCI), 83 (dAI), 6 (dAII), and 28 (TI) pmol/mg DNA, respectively. The preferred formation of dCI may be relevant to chloroprene mutagenesis.     

A Schiff base is a major DNA adduct of crotonaldehyde

Previous studies have demonstrated that the reaction of crotonaldehyde with DNA produces Michael addition products, and these have been detected in human tissues as well as tissues of untreated laboratory animals. A second class of crotonaldehyde-DNA adducts releases 2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,3-dioxane (paraldol, 12) upon hydrolysis, and these adducts are quantitatively more significant than the Michael addition adducts in vitro. In this study, we demonstrate that the major source of the paraldol-releasing DNA adducts of crotonaldehyde is a Schiff base. Reaction of crotonaldehyde with DNA, followed by treatment with NaBH(3)CN and enzyme hydrolysis, resulted in the formation of N(2)-(3-hydroxybutyl)dG (10), identified by its UV, MS, and proton NMR. Reactions of crotonaldehyde or paraldol with dG demonstrated that the Schiff base precursor to N(2)-(3-hydroxybutyl)dG is N(2)-(3-hydroxybutylidene)dG (7), identified by UV, LC-APCI-MS, and MS/MS. Four isomers of N(2)-(3-hydroxybutylidene)dG were observed. The (R)- and (S)-isomers were identified by reactions of chiral paraldol with dG; each existed as a pair of interconverting (E)- and (Z)-isomers. These data indicate that the structure of the major Schiff base DNA adduct in crotonaldehyde-treated DNA is N(2)-(3-hydroxybutylidene)dG (7). This adduct is unstable at the nucleoside level and accounts for more than 90% of the paraldol released from crotonaldehyde-treated DNA. However, the adduct is stable in DNA and therefore is a likely companion to the Michael addition adducts in human DNA.     

Synthesis, characterization andIn vitro identification ofN 7-Guanine adduct of 2-bromopropane

Recently, we have reported that 2-bromopropane might have an immunotoxic potential in rats when exposed for 28 days. In the present studies, the possibility of 2i-deoxyguanosine adduct formation by 2-bromopropane was investigated in vitro to elucidate molecular mechanism of 2-bromopropane-induced immunosuppression. N7-Guanine adduct of 2'-bromopropane (i.e., N7-isopropyl guanine) was chemically synthesized and structurally characterized by analysis of UV, 1H-NMR, '3C-NMR, COSY and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to use as a reference material. Incubation of 2'-deoxyguanosine with an excess amount of 2-bromopropane in PBS buffer solution, pH 7.4, at 37 degrees C for 16 h, followed by a thermal hydrolysis, produced a detectable amount of N7-isopropyl guanine by an HPLC and UV analysis. The present results suggest that 2-bromopropane might form a DNA adduct in N7 position of 2'-deoxyguanosine at a physiological condition.     

Formation of acyclic and cyclic guanine adducts in DNA reacted with alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopyrrolidine

This paper describes the reaction of alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopyrrolidine with DNA to produce six adducts: two new acyclic adducts, 7-(4-oxobutyl)guanine (6) and 7-(3-carboxypropyl)guanine (7), and four cyclic adducts--the exocyclic 7,8-guanine adducts 5, 11, and 12 and an exocyclic 1,N2-guanine adduct 13--which we have previously characterized. The initial purpose of this study was to carry out an independent synthesis to verify the structure of adduct 5, which is formed in liver DNA of rats treated with N-nitrosopyrrolidine. This was accomplished by the reaction of 2',3',5'-triacetylguanosine with 4-iodobutyraldehyde. This reaction also produced 7-(4-oxobutyl)guanine (6), which underwent air oxidation to 7. The new adducts were characterized by their proton NMR, UV, and mass spectral properties, by chemical transformations, and by independent syntheses. The six adduct standards were used to develop HPLC systems for their analysis as products of the reaction of alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopyrrolidine with DNA. Studies on their rates of formation and stability in DNA were carried out. The major products were 7-(4-oxobutyl)guanine (6) and the exocyclic 7,8-guanine adduct 5, which apparently were both formed mainly by reaction with DNA of 4-oxobutanediazohydroxide (4). Their concentrations were maximal after 6 h and subsequently decreased due to depurination. Little evidence was obtained for cyclization of 6 to 5, at the base level or in DNA. The concentrations of adducts 11-13, which were formed by reaction with DNA of crotonaldehyde (10), increased gradually over the 36-h time period studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

In the search for new anticancer drugs. 19. A predictive design of N,N:N',N':N',N'-tri-1,2-ethanediylphosphorothioic triamide (TEPA) analogues

The nitroxyl-labeled analogues of N,N:N',N':N",N"-tri-1,2-ethanediylphosphoric triamide (TEPA), N,N:N',N'-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)-N"-[[(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxypiperidi n-4- yl)amino]carbonyl]phosphoric triamide (5a) and N,N:N',N'-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)-N"-[[(2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-oxypyrrolid in-3- yl)amino]carbonyl]phosphoric triamide (11a), possess therapeutic indexes that are 8-12 times higher than those of thio-TEPA (1) and TEPA (2). The introduction of methyl groups into the aziridine ring, or the replacement of the nitroxyl moiety with hydroxylamine or amine derivatives, or with an adamantane moiety, results in compounds of lesser activity. An attempt is made to rationalize these results using a lipophilicity scale. A predictive design pattern is established.     

Sparse sampling design for therapeutic drug monitoring of sequentially administered cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin (CTC)

The alkylating agents cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin (CTC) are administered simultaneously in high-dose chemotherapy regimens. This regimen is sometimes complicated by severe organ toxicities, which may be caused by interindividual variability in the pharmacokinetics of the agents. Monitoring plasma levels and adapting doses may reduce variability in exposure to the compounds and their metabolites. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a sparse sampling design for routine dose individualization of cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin both during and between courses in the CTC regimen. Models describing the population pharmacokinetics of the prodrug cyclophosphamide (4000 or 6000 mg/m) and its activated metabolite 4-hydroxycylophosphamide, thiotepa (320 or 480 mg/m), and its equipotent metabolite tepa, and carboplatin (1067 or 1600 mg/m) in the 4-day CTC regimen have been developed previously using the program NONMEM. Based on these models, plasma concentrations were calculated in 20 groups of 50 simulated patients in each group during multiple courses of therapy, and the exposure, expressed as area under the plasma concentration-versus-time curve (AUC), was calculated. Subsequently, individual model-predicted AUCs were calculated for all courses, based on selected simulated plasma concentrations during the first course of therapy. Strategies were compared by assessment of their predictive performance of the AUC and their applicability in clinical practice. Withdrawal of 3 samples on the first day of the course at 190, 290, and 400 minutes after start of cyclophosphamide infusion resulted in unbiased and precise first course AUC predictions of 4-hydroxycylophosphamide, thiotepa and tepa, and carboplatin (precision [root mean squared relative prediction error, %RMSE] 20%, 16%, 8.8%, respectively). Applying this same strategy at day 3 (or 4) of the course, with an additional sample at 600 minutes on both days, resulted in unbiased and precise predictions of the AUC of a following course (%RMSE 21%, 18%, 17%, respectively). Prospective validation of the strategies in 23 additional patients yielded comparable results. It can be concluded that a good and useful sparse sampling design was developed for precise and accurate estimation of the AUCs of 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide, thiotepa and tepa, and carboplatin in the CTC regimen. This method is valuable in pharmacokinetically guided dose adaptation both during and between CTC courses.     

Population pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide and its metabolites 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide, 2-dechloroethylcyclophosphamide, and phosphoramide mustard in a high-dose combination with Thiotepa and Carboplatin

The anticancer prodrug cyclophosphamide (CP) is activated by the formation of 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (4OHCP), which decomposes into phosphoramide mustard (PM). This activation pathway is inhibited by thiotepa. CP is inactivated by formation of 2-dechloroethylcyclophosphamide (2DCECP). The aim of this study was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model describing the complex pharmacokinetics of CP, 4OHCP, 2DCECP, and PM when CP is administered in a high-dose combination with thiotepa and carboplatin. Patients received a combination of CP (1000-1500 mg/m/d), carboplatin (265-400 mg/m/d), and thiotepa (80-120 mg/m/d) administered in short infusions over 4 days. Twenty blood samples were collected per patient per course. Concentrations of CP, 4OHCP, 2DCECP, PM, thiotepa, and tepa were determined in plasma. Using NONMEM, an integrated population pharmacokinetic model was used to describe the pharmacokinetics of CP, 4OHCP, 2DCECP, and PM, including the already described processes of autoinduction of CP and the interaction with thiotepa. Data were available on 35 patients (70 courses). The pharmacokinetics of CP were described with a 2-compartment model, and those of 4OHCP, 2DCECP, and PM with 1-compartment models. Before onset of autoinduction, it was assumed that CP is eliminated through a noninducible pathway accounting for 20% of total CP clearance, whereas 2 inducible pathways resulted in formation of 4OHCP (75%) and 2DCECP (5%). It was assumed that 4OHCP was fully converted to PM. Induction of CP metabolism was mediated by 2 hypothetical amounts of enzyme whose quantities increased in time in the presence of CP (kenz=0.0223 and 0.0198 hours). Induction resulted in an increased formation of 4OHCP (approximately 50%), PM (approximately 50%), and 2DCECP (approximately 35%) during the 4-day course, and concomitant decreased exposure to CP (approximately 50%). The formation of 2DCECP was not inhibited by thiotepa. Apparent volumes of distribution of CP, PM, and 2DCECP could be estimated being 43.7, 55.5, and 18.5 L, respectively. Exposure to metabolites varied up to 9-fold. The complex population pharmacokinetics of CP, 4OHCP, 2DCECP, and PM in combination with thiotepa and carboplatin has been established and may form the basis for further treatment optimization with this combination.     

Reaction of alpha-acetoxy-N-nitrosopiperidine with deoxyguanosine: oxygen-dependent formation of 4-oxo-2-pentenal and a 1,N2-ethenodeoxyguanosine adduct.

The six-membered heterocyclic nitrosamine N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) is an esophageal carcinogen in the rat whereas its five-membered homologue N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) is a liver carcinogen. These contrasting organo-specificities may be due to differences between NPIP and NPYR in their metabolic activation to intermediates which bind to DNA. Previous studies have shown that the metabolic activation of NPYR to DNA binding products occurs through alpha-hydroxylation. DNA adducts of NPIP have not been characterized. Therefore, we began our studies by investigating the reaction of alpha-acetoxyNPIP with deoxyguanosine. A major adduct, detected by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection, was characterized by its UV, 1H-NMR, and MS as 7-(2-oxopropyl)-5,9-dihydro-9-oxo-3-beta-D-deoxyribofuranosylimidazo+ ++[1,2-a] purine. This 7-(2-oxopropyl)-substituted 1,N2-ethenodeoxyguanosine adduct was formed by reaction of 4-oxo-2-pentenal (3-acetylacrolein) with the 1 and N2 positions of deoxyguanosine. Since the formation of 4-oxo-2-pentenal from alpha-acetoxyNPIP was unexpected, we investigated the solvolysis of alpha-acetoxyNPIP in more detail. Major products formed in incubations of alpha-acetoxyNPIP for 7-24 h in phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) at 37 degrees C included 4-oxo-2-pentenal (11-21% yield), 4-hydroxypentanal (18-22%), and 5-hydroxypentanal (27-29%). The formation of 4-oxo-2-pentenal required O2. The results of this study demonstrate some unique features of the chemistry of alpha-acetoxyNPIP and the resulting deoxyguanosine adducts which may be related to the carcinogenic activity of NPIP.     

Characterization of nucleoside and DNA adducts formed by S-(1-acetoxymethyl)glutathione and implications for dihalomethane-glutathione conjugates

S-(1-Acetoxymethyl)glutathione (GSCH(2)OAc) was synthesized and used as a model for the reaction of glutathione (GSH)-dihaloalkane conjugates with nucleosides and DNA. Previously, S-[1-(N(2)-deoxyguanosinyl)methyl]GSH had been identified as the major adduct formed in the reaction of GSCH(2)OAc with deoxyguanosine. GSCH(2)OAc was incubated with the three remaining deoxyribonucleosides to identify other possible adducts. Adducts to all three nucleosides were found using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS). The adduct of GSCH(2)OAc and deoxyadenosine was formed in yield of up to 0.05% and was identified as S-[1-(N(7)-deoxyadenosinyl)methyl]GSH. The pyrimidine deoxyribonucleoside adducts were formed more efficiently, resulting in yields of 1 and 2% for the GSCH(2)OAc adducts derived from thymidine and deoxycytidine, respectively, but their lability prevented their structural identification by (1)H NMR. On the basis of the available UV spectra, we propose the structures S-[1-(N(3)-thymidinyl)methyl]GSH and S-[1-(N(4)-deoxycytidinyl)methyl]GSH. Because adduct degradation occurred most rapidly at alkaline and neutral pH values, an enzymatic DNA digestion procedure was developed for the rapid hydrolysis of DNA to deoxyribonucleosides at acidic pH. DNA digests were completed in less than 2 h with a two-step method, which consisted of a 15 min incubation of DNA with high concentrations of deoxyribonuclease II and phosphodiesterase II at pH 4.5, followed by incubation of resulting nucleotides with acid phosphatase. Analysis of the hydrolysis products by HPLC-ESI-MS indicated the presence of the thymidine adduct.     

Validation of a therapeutic drug monitoring strategy for thiotepa in a high-dose chemotherapy regimen.

Thiotepa is an alkylating agent widely used in high-dose chemotherapy. The pharmacokinetics of thiotepa and its main metabolite tepa show a wide interpatient variability, which may be responsible for the interpatient variability in toxicity. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a pharmacokinetically guided dosing strategy with the sum of the thiotepa and tepa area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) as the target parameter. A total of 46 patients received 77 courses of chemotherapy with thiotepa (80-120 mg/m(2) per day) divided into two daily 30-minute infusions in combination with cyclophosphamide and carboplatin. Patients received up to three courses of chemotherapy. The interpatient, course-to-course, day-to-day, and residual variability in the pharmacokinetics of thiotepa and tepa were estimated with a population analysis with the software program NONMEM. The planned strategy consisted of the collection of blood samples on day 1 and either day 3 or day 4 of each 4-day course. The thiotepa dose was planned to be adjusted on day 3 of each course and before the start of a new course on the basis of Bayesian predictions of the pharmacokinetics with data of day 1 and/or the possible previous course. The prediction procedure was validated by dividing the dataset into an index and validation set. The Bayesian predictions of the validation set were compared with true AUC values generated with individual fits of each course. The performance of the complete strategy was tested with a simulation procedure in 1,000 patients. Interpatient variability and course-to-course variability were in the same order (+/-20%); day-to-day variability was less (+/-15%). The sampling strategy resulted in predictions of the AUC without bias with acceptable precision (+/-20%). The simulation showed that variability in exposure was effectively decreased by the dosing strategy. This strategy resulted in a reduction in the variability of the exposure to thiotepa and tepa and can be implemented in a clinical study.     

Structure of adduct X, the last unknown of the six major DNA adducts of mitomycin C formed in EMT6 mouse mammary tumor cells

Treatment of EMT6 mouse mammary tumor cells with mitomycin C (MC) results in the formation of six major MC-DNA adducts. We identified the last unknown of these ("adduct X") as a guanine N(2) adduct of 2, 7-diaminomitosene (2,7-DAM), in which the mitosene is linked at its C-10 position to guanine N(2). The assigned structure is based on UV and mass spectra of adduct X isolated directly from the cells, as well as on its difference UV, second-derivative UV, and circular dichroism spectra, synthesis from [8-(3)H]deoxyguanosine, and observation of its heat stability. These tests were carried out using 17 microg of synthetic material altogether. The mechanism of formation of adduct X involves reductive metabolism of MC to 2,7-DAM, which undergoes a second round of reductive activation to alkylate DNA, yielding adduct X and another 2,7-DAM-guanine adduct (adduct Y), which is linked at guanine N7 to the mitosene. Adduct Y has been described previously. Adduct X is formed preferentially at GpC, while adduct Y favors the GpG sequence. In contrast to MC-DNA adducts, the 2,7-DAM-DNA adducts are not cytotoxic.     

Reactions of N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)-p-aminophenylbutyric acid (chlorambucil) with 2'-deoxyadenosine

N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)-p-aminophenylbutyric acid (chlorambucil, 1; 0.6 mM) was allowed to react with 2'-deoxyadenosine (16.1 mM) at physiological pH (cacodylic acid, 50% base), and the reactions were followed by HPLC-MS and HPLC-MS/MS techniques. Although the predominant reaction observed was chlorambucil hydrolysis, ca. 7% of 1 reacted with various heteroatoms of the nucleoside. The principal site of alkylation was N1. Several other adducts were also detected. The N1, N6, N3, and N7 derivatives were characterized by means of MS/MS, UV, and (1)H NMR. The N6 adduct is derived directly from alkylation of N6 of 2'-dAdo. Dimroth rearrangement of the N1 adduct to the N6 adduct was very slow under the reaction conditions employed. Minor adducts such as a carbohydrate derivative were tentatively characterized by MS/MS. No cross-links were detected. The role of chlorambucil-2'-deoxyadenosine adducts in the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of 1 is also discussed.     

NMR-studies of carcinogen reactions with DNA: ethylene dibromide and aflatoxin B1

Two examples are described of the use of NMR spectroscopy to study the modification of DNA structure by carcinogens. The reaction of ethylene dibromide involves initial conjugation with glutathione, catalysed by glutathione S-transferase. Reaction of this adduct with DNA occurs at N7 of guanine. Through the use of stereospecifically 1,2-dideuteriated ethylene dibromide, the mechanism of reaction has been shown to involve an odd number, i.e. three, of SN2 inversions. Correlation spectra (COSY) were employed to analyse reaction stereochemistry. The relative configuration of the deuterium atoms in the products was initially assigned by 1H nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) difference spectra and then confirmed by an independent synthesis of stereospecifically dideuteriated glutathione-guanine adducts. The second example involves reaction of the epoxide of aflatoxin B1 with DNA to form covalent adducts at N7 of guanine. Adduct formation was found to enhance duplex stability. Chemical shift changes for aflatoxin protons in the covalent adduct when compared with those for aflatoxin B1 non-covalently associated with DNA suggest that covalently linked aflatoxin is intercalated. NOEs confirm that the aflatoxin moiety is intercalated and show that it is on the 5' side of the guanine. This geometry leads to d(ATCGAT)2 forming an adduct in which only one chain has been modified by aflatoxin, while d(ATGCAT)2 forms a complex in which both chains have been modified.     

Isolation and characterization of N7-guanyl adducts derived from 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a potent renal and testicular toxicant and has been shown to induce tumor formation in laboratory animals. The toxic effects of the compound are thought to be a result of a bioactivation step in which a glutathione conjugate is formed and subsequently reacts with cellular DNA. The L-glutathione conjugate of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane was chemically synthesized and used to alkylate DNA: following incubations of the conjugate with calf thymus DNA and neutral thermal hydrolysis (to release N7-guanyl adducts) four major fluorescent products were observed. Three of these were isolated and characterized, the structures being determined as S-[bis(N7-guanylmethyl)methyl]glutathione and the two diastereomers of S-[1-(hydroxymethyl)-2-(N7-guanyl)ethyl]glutathione. The fourth fluorescent product was unstable and formed in low yield and thus could not be characterized. The formation of these N7-guanyl adducts can be explained by a mechanism that includes the formation of two consecutive episulfonium ion intermediates followed by nucleophilic attack at the unsubstituted methylene carbon. These adducts bear structural and mechanistic similarities to the major adduct derived from 1,2-dibromoethane, S-[2-(N7-guanyl)ethyl]glutathione. The same adducts were also formed when DBCP was incubated with rat liver cytosol, GSH, and DNA. In vivo experiments with DBCP yielded very low levels of the N7-guanyl adducts formed in rat liver compared to the levels seen after treatments with 1,2-dibromoethane. The bis-guanyl adduct represents a cross-linked structure that may be important in the toxicity of this compound. The conjugate was not found to be mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA100 but rather showed a toxic effect toward the bacteria.     

Cytochrome b5 increases cytochrome P450 3A4-mediated activation of anticancer drug ellipticine to 13-hydroxyellipticine whose covalent binding to DNA is elevated by sulfotransferases and N,O-acetyltransferases

The antineoplastic alkaloid ellipticine is a prodrug, whose pharmacological efficiency is dependent on its cytochrome P450 (P450)- and/or peroxidase-mediated activation in target tissues. The P450 3A4 enzyme oxidizes ellipticine to five metabolites, mainly to 13-hydroxy- and 12-hydroxyellipticine, the metabolites responsible for the formation of ellipticine-13-ylium and ellipticine-12-ylium ions that generate covalent DNA adducts. Cytochrome b(5) alters the ratio of ellipticine metabolites formed by P450 3A4. While the amounts of the detoxication metabolites (7-hydroxy- and 9-hydroxyellipticine) were not changed with added cytochrome b(5), 12-hydroxy- and 13-hydroxyellipticine, and ellipticine N(2)-oxide increased considerably. The P450 3A4-mediated oxidation of ellipticine was significantly changed only by holo-cytochrome b(5), while apo-cytochrome b(5) without heme or Mn-cytochrome b(5) had no such effect. The change in amounts of metabolites resulted in an increased formation of covalent ellipticine-DNA adducts, one of the DNA-damaging mechanisms of ellipticine antitumor action. The amounts of 13-hydroxy- and 12-hydroxyellipticine formed by P450 3A4 were similar, but more than 7-fold higher levels of the adduct were formed by 13-hydroxyellipticine than by 12-hydroxyellipticine. The higher susceptibility of 13-hydroxyellipticine toward heterolytic dissociation to ellipticine-13-ylium in comparison to dissociation of 12-hydroxyellipticine to ellipticine-12-ylium, determined by quantum chemical calculations, explains this phenomenon. The amounts of the 13-hydroxyellipticine-derived DNA adduct significantly increased upon reaction of 13-hydroxyellipticine with either 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate or acetyl-CoA catalyzed by human sulfotransferases 1A1, 1A2, 1A3, and 2A1, or N,O-acetyltransferases 1 and 2. The calculated reaction free energies of heterolysis of the sulfate and acetate esters are by 10-17 kcal/mol more favorable than the energy of hydrolysis of 13-hydroxyellipticine, which could explain the experimental data.     

Detection of DNA damage derived from a direct acting ethylating agent present in cigarette smoke by use of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Cigarette smoke contains a complex mixture of chemicals, including some that are genotoxic. A number of epidemiological and clinical studies have reported the association of increased DNA adduct levels with the development of lung cancer in smokers. The majority of chemicals present in cigarette smoke require cytochrome P450-mediated metabolic activation to form the ultimate reactive species that covalently binds with DNA. We have investigated the presence of a direct-acting ethylating agent present in cigarette smoke by studying the formation of N-7 ethylguanine (N-7EtG) following exposure of DNA to cigarette smoke in vitro. A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was developed for the detection of N-7EtG in DNA. DNA samples were subjected to thermal hydrolysis to selectively release the N-7EtG, which was then quantified by LC-MS/MS MRM using a stable isotope internal standard [15N5]N-7EtG. The limit of detection of the method for N-7EtG was 2.0 fmol injected on column with 100 microg of calf thymus DNA as the matrix (0.6 N-7EtG adducts per 10(8) nucleotides). A linear dose-response was observed for the formation of N-7EtG in calf thymus DNA treated with diethyl sulfate at concentrations ranging from 1 to 1000 microM. Calf thymus DNA treated with smoke generated from 1, 5, and 10 commercially available cigarettes resulted in the formation of 1.3, 3.6, and 8.4 N-7EtG adducts per 10(8) nucleotides, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the formation of N-7EtG and the number of cigarettes (r = 0.9938). These results confirm the presence of an as yet unidentified direct acting ethylating agent in cigarette smoke, which is present at levels that can produce DNA damage that could ultimately have adverse implications for human health, particularly in the case of the development of lung cancer.